WIOMPAN

Last year, the inaugural Hifadhi Blu cohort convened in Mombasa, drawing teams from four MPA initiatives across the WIO. Listen in as they share their key takeaways from the program, highlighting the importance of regional knowledge exchange in enhancing conservation.

Notably, the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award is now accepting nominations for entire ranger teams alongside individual rangers.  Learn more about the criteria and how to nominate a peer or team here: tuskawards.com/nominations/

Nominations for the 2026 Tusk Conservation Awards are officially open through April 26, 2026. 🏆 This prestigious program honors the dedicated individuals protecting Africa’s biodiversity and offers grant funding to advance the winners' on-the-ground initiatives.

This is a unique opportunity to develop local knowledge on biomolecular sampling, engage with your community, and unlock biomolecular knowledge on marine species at your site. 🗓️Applications close on 15th February 2026. Find out more on: ednaexpeditions.org

🧬 Opportunity for WIO MPAs: Enhance Your Monitoring with environmental DNA (eDNA) The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) is recruiting 25 marine sites globally for the eDNA Expeditions Project 2026–2028.

Find out more about the webinar on: blog.wiomsa.net/2026/01/21/joi…

Save the date for Feb 10th, 2026, at 5 PM SAST and join in celebrating the vital work of MPAs. This virtual session will guide attendees through the evolution of MPA Day, exploring how the movement has expanded from its origins to become a worldwide platform for ocean health.

Building on the resounding success of Marine Protected Area Day 2025, Open Communications for the Ocean (OCTO) is set to kick off the new year with a special global webinar, "MPA Day 2026: Uniting a Global Community for Ocean Protection." 📸: Stefan Andrews/Ocean Image bank

“More than a manual—this toolkit is an invitation to strengthen leadership, foster collaboration, and accelerate action toward thriving marine protected areas in the WIO and beyond.” To find out more about the toolkit, visit: wiomsa.org/publications/i…

WIOMSA is excited to release “Western Indian Ocean WIO- COMPAS Support Toolkit for Ocean Conservation Areas” to advance the effective management and planning of marine protected areas (MPAs) across the WIO.

Interested MPA managers, researchers, and practitioners are invited to contribute. 🌊 For more information, visit: blog.wiomsa.net/2025/11/26/sea…

To address this knowledge gap, Project Seahorse in collaboration with the IUCN and the Species Survival Commission is undertaking a global meta-analysis seeking seahorse observations and information collected from sites both inside and outside MPAs, spanning various time periods.

Seahorses are iconic flagship species for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) worldwide. 🌍 However, despite their status, there is surprisingly little data available on how seahorse populations actually respond to protection measures. Photo by: Liang Fu/Ocean Image Bank

Hifadhi Blu, a collaboration by WIOMSA, Advanced Conservation Strategies, WIOMPAN, & Minderoo Foundation, is seeking motivation letters to enhance marine conservation management & improve the effectiveness of Marine Conservation Areas in the WIO region. Photo: Ocean Agency

WIOMSA’s Executive Director, Dr. Arthur Tuda yesterday shared the rationale behind incorporating the IMET tool in the MPA management planning process as a precursor to the participants’ engagement with the tool today.

Mombasa Marine Protected Area’s first stakeholder & core planning meeting is underway involving exercises on stakeholders’ mapping,and discussions on threats facing the MPA and opportunities that can be leveraged.

👉 Access the survey here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…   Remember: please only share information with permission from community members. #WIO #OceanKnowledge #MarineConservation

🌊 Communities across the Western Indian Ocean hold generations of wisdom about the sea. Help us capture this invaluable #IndigenousKnowledge and #TraditionalKnowledge! 🪸 Take a few minutes to complete the ITK Survey and share what you know about local practices in your area.

WIOMPAN Chairs met in Mombasa 🇰🇪 to align 2025–26 priorities—strengthening capacity, governance & collaboration across WIO MPAs & LMMAs. 🌊 
#WIOMPAN #MarineConservation #30x30 Read more about the meeting here: blog.wiomsa.net/2025/10/21/wio…

Your answers will remain confidential and will only be used internally. The survey is available in three languages: English, Français, Português. Follow this link to the Survey: cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cR…

On behalf of WIOMPAN, we invite you to take a survey. WIOMPAN connects MPA managers, communities, scientists, and others across the Western Indian Ocean. This short survey (about 10 minutes) will help us improve the network’s value and services for you.